Novelist Han Seung-won, left, poses for a photo with his daughter, novelist Han Kang, in this 2005 file photo provided by the publisher Munhak Sasang. Yonhap

Korean novelist Han Seung-won said Friday he was so surprised to learn about his daughter Han Kang winning a Nobel Prize that he initially dismissed it as fake news.

Han Kang's victory Thursday marks a historic moment for Korea, as she became the country's first-ever Nobel laureate in literature.

Speaking at a press conference held outside his writing studio in Jangheung, 321 kilometers south of Seoul, the senior Han recounted how he first learned of the prestigious honor.

"A reporter called me that night to ask for my reaction," he said. "I said, 'What are you talking about? Are you not being misled by some fake news?'"

The 85-year-old novelist said he was overwhelmed with surprise. "I was taken by a feeling of bewilderment," he admitted.

When asked why he had been so incredulous, Han explained that he had never expected his daughter to win so soon.

"The Swedish Academy judges often select older writers or poets for the prize," he said. "I thought my daughter might have to wait several more years."

In fact, Han said, he had forgotten about the prize announcement altogether and had been preparing for bed when he received the call.

Earlier on Friday, in an interview with local radio, Han also expressed his astonishment, saying the news made him feel "as if the world had been turned upside down."

Regarding his daughter's literary style, he commented during the interview that she portrays tragedy "in a very profound, beautiful and sorrowful way."

"I think she's been talked about as an author with special significance since 'The Vegetarian.' Then came 'Human Acts,' followed by 'We Do Not Part.' As the Gwangju uprising and the April 3 Incident became connected, there's a kind of love for the fragile humans who feel trauma from state violence and the world. I think that's what the judges picked up on."

He was referring to the pro-democracy civil uprising that occurred in the southwestern city of Gwangju in 1980 and the 1948 civilian massacre on Korea's southern island of Jeju by the government.

"There's nothing to discard in Kang's novels. Each one is a masterpiece. This isn't just a case of a hedgehog thinking its own offspring is pretty."

Born in 1939 in Jangheung, he debuted as a novelist in 1968. He has since been a prolific writer, with works including "Aje aje bara-aje," "Chusa" and "The Life of Dasan." Most recently, he published an autobiographical novel, titled "The Path of Humans," early this year. (Yonhap)